* [[Omnitheism]] &mdash; all religions have some appreciation of the inherent spirituality of existence; stresses reconciliation of different religious traditions and of religions with scientific understanding

* [[Omnitheism]] &mdash; all religions have some appreciation of the inherent spirituality of existence; stresses reconciliation of different religious traditions and of religions with scientific understanding

* [[Spiritualism]] &mdash; religious movement popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries centered around the possibility of contacting spirits of the dead

* [[Spiritualism]] &mdash; religious movement popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries centered around the possibility of contacting spirits of the dead

It is notoriously difficult to define what does and does not constitute a religion, due to the sheer variety of human religious beliefs and practices. Taoism and Confucianism, for instance, are sometimes described as philosophies rather than religions.

The term originated in Middle English sometime between 1150 and 1200 CE, referring to a state of conscientiousness or social binding.

Classification

Many religions are subdivided into sects or denominations, resulting in a huge number of labels for the religious to choose from. The major world religions are typically, however, divided into three large groups:

Non-religious, including secular, agnostic and atheist: 1.1 billion (reporting on this number can sometimes be problematic as some confusion arises over the term, as some religions support of allow atheism.)